Julian Nagelsmann: "Leon Goretzka has unfortunately had to stop training again and will not be available tomorrow. Serge Gnabry suffered an adductor problem against Dortmund and will not play tomorrow either"
Nagelsmann: "Choupo-Moting still has a few problems, he can't train yet. Josh [Kimmich] will get tested tomorrow and will normally go out of quarantine. But it doesn't make sense to play him tomorrow. We have to look for Saturday"
Nagelsmann: "Lucas Hernández is doing well, but I'm not sure if he'll start tomorrow with a view to Saturday's important game against Mainz. Regarding Sabitzer he'll still take a while, he is in individual training. It's still taking time"
Nagelsmann: "We're happy that we're going into this game having already secured top spot. Nevertheless it's still an important game. The Champions League is always something special - and we want to be fair to the rest of the teams in the group"
Nagelsmann on Barcelona: "Xavi and his team haven't had that many training sessions. They are now defending higher than they did before. Their counter-pressing is also more active. On the one hand, that leaves gaps behind, because it's difficult to always cover all spaces"
Nagelsmann: "Barça still have world-class players. They are under pressure in the table and have to win, they will give everything for that. It's not about sending them out of the competition, but about three points for us. I still see them as a candidate for the title."
Nagelsmann on Coman: "I'm really happy for him. His qualities are of different nature. His finishing has improved significantly. He is really good in 1v1 situations and is a very good assister. I want to keep him here for several years and I appreciate him very much as a person""
Rotation tomorrow?
Nagelsmann: "We will play with our best available team"
Nagelsmann on Barça: "La Masia is now producing more good players again. That may not have been the case in the last 3 or 4 years. They still have a very good squad. With Frenkie de Jong they have one of the best midfielders in the world. I think they are on the right track."
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
• On Upamecano staying at Bayern: "It felt like I told him 100 times a day to extend his contract. If he has now agreed, then I am very, very happy about it because he is extremely important for us"
[@kerry_hau]
Tah on the interaction with Upamecano, Kim and the other defenders: "This group we have is special. Everyone brings something to the table in their own way. That’s important because everyone can learn something from each other. We all want to improve – we want to grow. And then we have a coach who has played in this position as well. So yes – it feels really good."
Tah on Vincent Kompany: "There are drills where he joins in or briefly demonstrates something. Not for very long, though. He makes a lot of corrections, and that makes you realize the details he pays attention to. These details can be tiny, but if you change them, the risk of conceding a goal is much lower. Just because you've adjusted a position. That's really impressive."
• On what he has learned so far from Kompany: "Many details, but also how important it is to communicate on the pitch. That’s what he expects from me, but he emphasizes again and again how much you can compensate for with that. When the team is compact, when we have to defend deep, when the right time is to press high. The kind of communication he teaches us makes a huge difference on the pitch."
Vincent Kompany in interview with the club's magazine #Säbener51
• One of your guiding principles is: "Be hungry or go somewhere else." What exactly defines a hungry player for you?
Kompany: "At this level, you're duty bound to give your all. You can enjoy what success brings - but you have to be prepared to make sacrifices. Hunger means always wanting more, always being prepared to do more, and to do it together. It also has nothing to do with winning. You have to be hungry when you win, lose or draw, when the sun is shining, when it's raining or snowing. It's the mindset of pushing yourself without becoming negative, out of the conviction: Only those who stick to the task make progress."
• Do you see this hunger above all in difficult moments?
Kompany: "Everyone experiences difficult moments. The key is not to hide away, but to use them to your advantage. Stick out your chest, search for the truth - that's what I demand. I want the group to believe in itself and its path. And the individual too. I myself never had a straight path; there were lots of ups and downs. But I've always trusted myself. I want to see the same thing from my team."
• If you look back at your first Bundesliga game - a 3-2 win against Wolfsburg - and compare it with today: What has changed the most?
Kompany: "In that first game, we were 2-1 down, came back, won 3-2 - and the substitutes made the difference. That's exactly what I want from day one to the last day: that we always believe we'll get our moment, even if things aren’t going perfectly. Everything else happened step by step. Through hard work, learning from mistakes, creating clarity for the players - and above all, maintaining calm and stability. It was always calm and stable in our dressing room, even after defeats. That has sustained us to this day. And it will continue to sustain us. If things don't go our way at times, we know how we can improve as a result."
• On his 20 months in charge so far: "If I were to draw a picture, I would say that a lot of dust was constantly being stirred up during that time, and it was essential to maintain a clear focus on what was important. In the summer of 2024, we hadn't won a title, not even the runner-up position behind Leverkusen. We didn't have a coach and, on top of that, the team was generally unhappy. Looking back on it now, the most important thing was to find a very good coach with whom we could develop long-term plans from the outset. We succeeded in doing that with Vincent Kompany, as the recent contract extension until 2029 underlined once again."
[@Karlo_Kolumna, @cfbayern, @altobelli13]
• How present were the calls from other clubs for Kompany? His former club Manchester City is watching him very closely…
Eberl: "We see Vincent Kompany working every day – and seeing him up close is even more impressive than watching from the outside. When a coach is successful at FC Bayern, he is naturally also interesting to other clubs that are financially very powerful. But Vinnie senses that something is being built here, and he wants to be a part of it and help shape it. Furthermore, we will stand together if there's ever a rough patch. He is a perfect fit for FC Bayern"
• Can you describe Kompany's greatest strength in one sentence?
Eberl: "His clarity about how he wants to play football, combined with the empathy he shows in treating people."
Aleksandar Pavlović in interview with @focusonline & @ransport
• You're now considered a big role model at the Bayern Campus, showing how the path to the first team can be successful. Does that make you proud?
Pavlović: "Very, very proud. When the young players can look up to you, it also gives you a bit of a sense of validation. I always admired the first team players myself. So, of course, it's something special when you know you can motivate others"
• How connected do you still feel to the Campus and the young players?
Pavlović: "I try to go to the games at the Campus as often as possible and support them. When a few of the boys train with us now and then, I'm happy to give them tips and chat with them. I remember from my own experience how good that feels."
Pavlović on his current form: "I'm in great spirits and it's simply fun to play with the guys. Whether at Bayern or here with the national team. I try to do my part to ensure our success. And yes, that's working very well"
Lennart Karl on being called up for the U21 for the first time: "The coach told me that I earned my call-up for the upcoming U21 international matches based on my performances at FC Bayern. It means a lot to me to wear the eagle on my chest. I'm representing the country, which is why I'm giving it my all here, just like at my club. It's cool to play with other teammates who come to the national team from top clubs all over Germany and abroad" [dfb]
Karl: "I feel very welcome here, as I already know a few of the guys well – Tom Bischof, Noel Aseko, and Arijon Ibrahimović, for example. The situation is similar to what I was in at my club. I also made the jump to the first team a bit earlier at Bayern. So everything fits perfectly. I want to settle in well with the team. I want to show my strengths and work on my weaknesses. My goal is to get plenty of playing time, which I'll have to earn. Even as a younger player, I expect myself to start games"
• If you had to describe the player Lennart Karl, what would that sound like?
Karl: "I'd say I have a lot of speed and a quick burst of acceleration. Most of my opponents already know that I also like to cut inside. Somehow, I still manage to get past them sometimes (laughs). Another strength of mine is that I'm not afraid of my opponents – no matter how old they are. Of course, I respect all my opponents, but I always try to play my football. That's the best way to showcase your qualities. I still need to work on my first touch with my right foot; that's what I need to focus on."
Dayot Upamecano on his future in @lequipe interview
• Didier Deschamps said he wanted the future of his players clarified before the World Cup. Will that be your case too?
Upamecano: "I hope so. My agent is taking care of that. We'll make the right decision. I'm well advised. I'm focused on this season and my goals with the club and the national team. I'm not thinking about that [the future]"
• Vincent Kompany recently said that you're happy at Bayern. Should he be optimistic about you extending your contract?
Upamecano: "I've always said I feel comfortable at Bayern. I have a great coach. I get on well with my teammates"
• Since Tuesday's game, PSG fans want to see you wearing their shirt. What are your thoughts on that?
Upamecano: "I'm calm with that [laughs]. I'm under contract at Bayern. I have goals. I'm very grateful if there are clubs interested in me"
Upamecano on how Vincent Kompany helped him in his game: "He really helped me with my positioning, body positioning, how to approach the long balls, and when. We got straight to work from day one. There are very precise body positions to respect. I think I did that well against Paris. We do a lot of video analysis; some sessions last 30-40 minutes. We've become a team, a force."
• What instructions did Kompany give you against PSG?
Upamecano: "I wasn't starting from scratch; I watch Paris a lot. We knew how high-level a team they were, how they take risks: Pacho, Marquinhos, they press high. The coach insisted that we shouldn't be afraid, that we should go after them. Before the match, he even told me: "If necessary, you'll press the goalkeeper."